# Julep Mystery Box: Jewel Heist



## Lolo22 (Sep 8, 2014)

New mystery box is out and the code 10foryou works on it. I knew I shouldn't do it and I know I probably won't like any colors in it but I couldn't resist a chance to win the whole birthstone collection. Oopsies!


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## JC327 (Sep 8, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> New mystery box is out and the code 10foryou works on it. I knew I shouldn't do it and I know I probably won't like any colors in it but I couldn't resist a chance to win the whole birthstone collection. Oopsies!


Seriously tempted by this box, its been over a year since I have purchased a mistery box.


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## DragonChick (Sep 8, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> New mystery box is out and the code 10foryou works on it. I knew I shouldn't do it and I know I probably won't like any colors in it but I couldn't resist a chance to win the whole birthstone collection. Oopsies!


Thanks for the heads up! I caved and picked up a box as I have't bought a mystery box in months. Christmas is coming, and anything I can't use can be used as gifts.


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## zadidoll (Sep 8, 2014)

> Introducing the Jewel Heist Mystery Box! Packed with $100+ worth of mystery nail polishes and beauty must-haves—and if you’re lucky, you might end up with even more loot...
> 
> 50 winners get all 12 birthstone polishes, including the three colors nobody’s seen, in a white lacquer jewelry box (a $216 value).
> 
> 1 grand prize winner gets all that AND a pair of gorgeous sapphire and diamond earrings (1 ct tw). Whaaaat? Good luck!


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 8, 2014)

I bought one with $10 off even though I wasn't terribly happy with the last one and even though I already have 5 (well, soon I will, September's is in DHL-no-man's-land) of the birthstone polishes.  $14.99 was a pretty good deal.  Hopefully I will like the mystery polish colors better than last time.


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## JC327 (Sep 8, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> New mystery box is out and the code 10foryou works on it. I knew I shouldn't do it and I know I probably won't like any colors in it but I couldn't resist a chance to win the whole birthstone collection. Oopsies!


Thanks for enabling me just purchased a box. Good luck to everyone would love to see some of the MuT ladies win.


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 8, 2014)

I fell for it hook, line, and sinker thanks to the code. I'm tired of boxes taking over two weeks to get to me (oh, the misfortunes of living pretty much as far away from Seattle as possible in the continental US), so I got expedited shipping for once! The total wasn't much more than I would have paid for the box thanks to the code.

REAAAAAAALLY hoping to be one of those lucky 51 because the opal, topaz, and turquoise polish are bound to be gorgeous and I want them now now now.

(In case I'm not a winner and the box sucks, I just got all three of my roommates into Julep polish and one of them is bound to take any stinkers I get.)


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## jebest (Sep 8, 2014)

I just ordered it since I could use the $10 off, hoping someone from mut is one of the lucky winners as well  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## sparklesgirlxox (Sep 8, 2014)

with the 10 off was a great deal  .. I have so many colors hope they aren't dupes


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## mollybb (Sep 8, 2014)

I've been really disappointed with the last few mystery boxes I've gotten, so I try to wait for spoilers now before I buy any. However, with the $10 off code I couldn't resist! Just hoping that if I don't like the colors they are at least giftable (and that I don't get a box full of Kennedys and Karens).


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 8, 2014)

I know this  is a stupid Q as the answer is probably "no" but do you think the mystery box only includes the birthstone collection?


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 8, 2014)

and if I decided to become a maven again (as I cancelled) do you think I could cancel before the 17th and be ok?


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## Shauna999 (Sep 9, 2014)

It's been forever since I've taken a mystery box -- with the opportunity to win all birthstone colors &amp; for only $14.99, I just couldn't pass it up!!! Thanks LOLO22  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## JC327 (Sep 9, 2014)

mishmish said:


> and if I decided to become a maven again (as I cancelled) do you think I could cancel before the 17th and be ok?


You should be ok if you cancel before the maven window closes.


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## JC327 (Sep 9, 2014)

mishmish said:


> I know this  is a stupid Q as the answer is probably "no" but do you think the mystery box only includes the birthstone collection?


I would love it if it did but im guessing its the past few months boxes.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 9, 2014)

Man. I got suckered back in.  Any other codes to use besides '10foryou' - just used that one?  I want to buy a few more colors. Their CS made me so mad before. I cannot believe I would join again.


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## mandithomas89 (Sep 9, 2014)

Ahhh kind of tempted by this. I don't really need any more nail polish, especially the stuff that turns up in mystery boxes... but all the birthstone polishes would be so amazing.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 9, 2014)

I finally started wearing one of the birthstones - put it on last night - and it's already chipping. Is that common? I wanted to only do one layer as I think it looks nicer that was. I also put on about 3 layers of topcoat.  2 nails chipped this morning. Hmmmm....


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 9, 2014)

I've never had issues with any of the birthstones chipping, but I've definitely had problems getting them off. I made the mistake of putting Rosa (February) on my toes and I spent a long, long time fighting to get it all off me! I've only ever had to fight shape top coats and America the Beautiful as hard as I fought Rosa. It's difficult to get them off my fingernails too even with my spongy tub of nail polish remover, but I learned not to put the birthstones on my toes. Aretha is the only exception because she's got more of a top coat formula and the others are standalone polishes.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 9, 2014)

Thanks. This was Coretta. And as I said, it was a single coat on my fingernails.


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## TooMuchElectric (Sep 9, 2014)

The last several mystery boxes haven't worked with codes at all. Before that, mystery boxes would work with codes for maybe 6 hours until Julep realized their mistake. I won't guess why, but the fact that a code is working with this box is 100% intentional.


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 9, 2014)

I got one too. I couldn't pass it up with the code....

Oh, random glitter removal tip! I don't remember where I got it from, but I use dryer sheets (after they have been used) to get the glitter off. I try to wipe what polish I can off with a regular cotton round, but all the sticky bits get taken care of by the dryer sheet. Dip it in remover of course to wet it. I am a glitter addict and wouldn't manage without this trick. Glitter can be such a $!&amp;@ to remove.


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## bonita22 (Sep 10, 2014)

I couldn't pass up this box with the $10 off code. Also, I just got a shipping notification. I really hope I win.


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## deactivateduser232015 (Sep 10, 2014)

Apparently it's not working anymore as of about 45 minutes ago...so congrats to everyone who got one at $15 XD


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 10, 2014)

mishmish said:


> I finally started wearing one of the birthstones - put it on last night - and it's already chipping. Is that common? I wanted to only do one layer as I think it looks nicer that was. I also put on about 3 layers of topcoat.  2 nails chipped this morning. Hmmmm....


Which one?  I have used garnet, diamond, and emerald and they were fine.  But the ruby one was the chippiest glitter polish I've ever tried.

Edit: Should've read the rest of the thread, I see you already answered that question!


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## Lolo22 (Sep 11, 2014)

TooMuchElectric said:


> The last several mystery boxes haven't worked with codes at all. Before that, mystery boxes would work with codes for maybe 6 hours until Julep realized their mistake. I won't guess why, but the fact that a code is working with this box is 100% intentional.


Awwwwww dont say that..lol.  Probably true though.  I'm sure they sold a heck of lot more, making all our chances of winning go down. 

I got my tracking info but it says est. delivery for 9/19.  Based on people's box weights in the JS group, it looks like there may be variations.  I really hope we see a spoiler today or tomorrow!


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## JC327 (Sep 11, 2014)

Kyuu said:


> Apparently it's not working anymore as of about 45 minutes ago...so congrats to everyone who got one at $15 XD


Sorry to hear that.


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## DragonChick (Sep 11, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Awwwwww dont say that..lol.  Probably true though.  I'm sure they sold a heck of lot more, making all our chances of winning go down.
> 
> I got my tracking info but it says est. delivery for 9/19.  Based on people's box weights in the JS group, it looks like there may be variations.  I really hope we see a spoiler today or tomorrow!


My tracking says I should get mine on Saturday, but the weight is only 1.2 pounds. I doubt that's one of the "winning" boxes.


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## Shauna999 (Sep 11, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> My tracking says I should get mine on Saturday, but the weight is only 1.2 pounds. I doubt that's one of the "winning" boxes.


Me too... My box is saying 1.27.., so sad, I was really hoping for a glittery surprise. Oh well, now I'm just hoping for some fun colors &amp; products!!


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## Lolo22 (Sep 11, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> My tracking says I should get mine on Saturday, but the weight is only 1.2 pounds. I doubt that's one of the "winning" boxes.





Shauna999 said:


> Me too... My box is saying 1.27.., so sad, I was really hoping for a glittery surprise. Oh well, now I'm just hoping for some fun colors &amp; products!!


I'm pretty sure it said somewhere that prizes were shipping separately, so don't despair!  I have not seen anyone's weight higher than 1.3 something and mine was 1.211.  I'm too lazy to check but from what other people are posting they will draw the winners on 9/14 when it closes for purchase.  I really hope one of us wins!!


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## JC327 (Sep 11, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> I'm pretty sure it said somewhere that prizes were shipping separately, so don't despair!  I have not seen anyone's weight higher than 1.3 something and mine was 1.211.  I'm too lazy to check but from what other people are posting they will draw the winners on 9/14 when it closes for purchase.  I really hope one of us wins!!


I hope so too, I always get happy seeing MuT girls win.


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## PrettyAndWitty (Sep 11, 2014)

Womp womp. I've never ordered from Julep before but I did order this mystery box. Mine has said that electronic notification has been received since the 9th.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I want them to actually send my box out! Come on Julep!!


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## zadidoll (Sep 11, 2014)

The fine print:



> Offer expires on 9/14/2014 at 11:59pm PT, or while supplies last. Purchase of multiple Jewel Heist Mystery Boxes may result in polish or product overlap. Offer may not be combined with any other promotional offer or discount (e.g. Maven 20% discount). No exchanges or returns are possible on Mystery Box, individual items, or add-ons. Estimated full retail value is at least $100.00 for all Jewel Heist Mystery boxes. Taxes vary by location.
> 
> The 51 prize winners will be randomly selected from Mystery Box orders placed 9/8/2014 through 9/14/2014. Prizes may ship separately from Mystery Box order. Winners will be notified via email from the address in the account.









I'm sure I didn't get the 12 birthday polishes much less the earrings. I ordered two boxes since I had two $15 credits due to referrals so each box was $9.99. I plan on giving any duplicates to my sisters-in-law and nieces for Christmas and some to my mother-in-law during Hanukkah.

Box 1: 1.2656 lbs

Box 2: 1.2738 lbs


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 11, 2014)

You guys are making me super nervous because my shipping info said my box was 2.00 pounds when I checked on UPS proper. I haven't gotten any email since I ordered on Monday and got my tracking info, but for them to round up would make me think it's heavier than 1.3 pounds. Whatever I end up with, I hope I don't end up with the variation I got spoilers for if they're really doing variations. Not Impressed by what I saw.

I checked my tracking (I got expedited shipping) and Julep/narvar says it will be delivered tomorrow, but UPS isn't providing any status updates on it. I'm gonna be sitting on pins and needles waiting for a package notification tomorrow!


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## sparklesgirlxox (Sep 11, 2014)

0.8133 lbs    is my box is only   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 11, 2014)

1.2794 lbs for mine.  I can't imagine why the 3rd and 4th decimal places are even necessary.  I can't believe the shipping rate would vary based on thousandths of a pound.


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## sparklesgirlxox (Sep 11, 2014)

You think these boxes basically are all the same ?


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## SerpentineBabou (Sep 11, 2014)

Mommylovesmakeup said:


> 0.8133 lbs    is my box is only   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


Mine is the same weight. If so e boxes are .8 lb amd some are 2 lb, I would guess that there has to be some variation. That's a pretty significant difference. I hope our box is one of the good ones!


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 11, 2014)

I know with the last mystery box, I got a gel eyeliner (so, tiny pot and low weight) and someone else I saw got a big tube of hand scrub (large weight).  The values could still be pretty similar despite the differences in weight.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 11, 2014)

Ashleigh Paige said:


> You guys are making me super nervous because my shipping info said my box was 2.00 pounds when I checked on UPS proper. I haven't gotten any email since I ordered on Monday and got my tracking info, but for them to round up would make me think it's heavier than 1.3 pounds. Whatever I end up with, I hope I don't end up with the variation I got spoilers for if they're really doing variations. Not Impressed by what I saw.
> 
> I checked my tracking (I got expedited shipping) and Julep/narvar says it will be delivered tomorrow, but UPS isn't providing any status updates on it. I'm gonna be sitting on pins and needles waiting for a package notification tomorrow!


You saw a spoiler??! What's in it???


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## DragonChick (Sep 11, 2014)

Ashleigh Paige said:


> You guys are making me super nervous because my shipping info said my box was 2.00 pounds when I checked on UPS proper. I haven't gotten any email since I ordered on Monday and got my tracking info, but for them to round up would make me think it's heavier than 1.3 pounds. Whatever I end up with, I hope I don't end up with the variation I got spoilers for if they're really doing variations. Not Impressed by what I saw.
> 
> I checked my tracking (I got expedited shipping) and Julep/narvar says it will be delivered tomorrow, but UPS isn't providing any status updates on it. I'm gonna be sitting on pins and needles waiting for a package notification tomorrow!



Looking at the spoiler I saw...



Spoiler



Those colors aren't very "jewel"ish to me. I was expecting brighter colors, but if you're thinking fall, then those colors fit right in.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 11, 2014)

Oh! Found it! I really wanted to try these products so I'm happy with it for $15, even though I would swap all those colors. Plus, I still think there will be variations.

Spoiler!!!


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 11, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> Looking at the spoiler I saw...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Agreed! They're all colors I don't have and that's lucky in itself because I've got 100+ Juleps by now, but I expected a little more from it, I suppose. I'll be staring at my inbox all day waiting for the package notification.


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 12, 2014)

Wow! Mine is only 0.6632!!!! Wonder what variations there might be? Anyone else with a crazy light box?


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 12, 2014)

This may have been addressed earlier - didnt go back and read. But my shipment is coming from Seattle. I thought they moved facilities to the midwest (OH or something)??


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## sparklesgirlxox (Sep 12, 2014)

mishmish said:


> This may have been addressed earlier - didnt go back and read. But my shipment is coming from Seattle. I thought they moved facilities to the midwest (OH or something)??


 stuff  from them to me always comes from seattle and always takes almost 3 weeks to get.  That is why I cancelled my sub the shipping crazy slow to NY


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 12, 2014)

mishmish said:


> This may have been addressed earlier - didnt go back and read. But my shipment is coming from Seattle. I thought they moved facilities to the midwest (OH or something)??


I think only the monthly Maven boxes come from Ohio.  Regular orders still seem to be shipping from Washington.  (I have FIVE boxes in DHL limbo right now, two of them from Julep...)


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## zadidoll (Sep 12, 2014)

I miss living in WA for one reason - I use to get my boxes within two days now that I'm on the opposite side of the country... over a week.


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 12, 2014)

I miss living in Seattle for a million reasons!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Yes, my mystery box is coming from there, and I'm about 9 hours away. However, dHL makes that process take a week and a half.


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## cskeiser (Sep 12, 2014)

I also have a light box coming to me... only .655 lb.


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## AshleyBeauty13 (Sep 12, 2014)

I literally have not seen a good mystery box since April 2013.  The last mystery boxes I bought were two Sea Salt Mystery boxes last year.  Those were ok.  Other than that, I am always too afraid of purchasing one, for fear of old, ugly colors that they are trying to get rid of, which seems like they always do with the mystery boxes.  Even if they have a Halloween one this year, they probably will not put Halloween colors or anything Halloween related, so I will probably just have to pass :/   Sorry to witch, but unless I see an AWESOME new color or colors in these boxes, that we will know of beforehand, I will never purchase a mystery box again.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 12, 2014)

Well, they raised the price 25% but didn't improve the boxes.  I still think that was a mistake, especially now with all the competition.


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## JC327 (Sep 12, 2014)

AshleyBeauty13 said:


> I literally have not seen a good mystery box since April 2013.  The last mystery boxes I bought were two Sea Salt Mystery boxes last year.  Those were ok.  Other than that, I am always too afraid of purchasing one, for fear of old, ugly colors that they are trying to get rid of, which seems like they always do with the mystery boxes.  Even if they have a Halloween one this year, they probably will not put Halloween colors or anything Halloween related, so I will probably just have to pass :/   Sorry to witch, but unless I see an AWESOME new color or colors in these boxes, that we will know of beforehand, I will never purchase a mystery box again.


That was the last mystery box I got before this one.


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## latinafeminista (Sep 12, 2014)

Awww I just found this thread and missed out on the code, sadness.  Do we know of any other existing codes out right now? I can't remember the last time I used one...


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## Lolo22 (Sep 13, 2014)

Ok 2 more spoilers are up with new variations. The second one is the really light weight. Sorry I'm on my phone so can't do a real spoiler.

SPOILER!!







I really want the mask one!


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## DragonChick (Sep 13, 2014)

Mine's out for delivery today, I'll post more once I get it in my grubby little hands!


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 13, 2014)

Ugh. The light looking box sucks (to me). Have most of it. Would rather get either of the 2 other boxes, even though I don't like them either.

I never cease to be disappointed with the julep mystery boxes. It was the $10 code and chance at the birthstone polishes that suckered me in...so I'll keep crossing my fingers to be a winner for that.


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## Shauna999 (Sep 13, 2014)

OMG ... I would luv luv the box with the mask!!!   My box left days ago but its taking the DHL trip around the country... not due to arrive in MI until Friday.  I miss the days of julep using usps-- my box would always get to me in 2 days... It was truly amazing!!  Ahhhh those were the days...Lol!!


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 13, 2014)

My box didn't actually ship until Thursday, so I won't get to see my box and its contents until Monday.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Not sure which of the variations I'd like most, but I definitely don't want 3. Maybe version 2? Eyeshadow is growing on me, I wouldn't mind an extra bottle of Tatiana, and I've been eyeing the lip gloss for a while.


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## DragonChick (Sep 13, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Oh! Found it! I really wanted to try these products so I'm happy with it for $15, even though I would swap all those colors. Plus, I still think there will be variations.
> 
> Spoiler!!!
> 
> ...



This is the box that I received.


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 14, 2014)

The mystery box description says-

"Packed with $100+ worth of mystery nail polishes and beauty must-haves, this tempting box is quite a steal. "

2 of the 3 box variations we have seen only have ONE polish. The description is plural. I think it's fair to expect more than 1 polish in the box. Not cool. Not happy.

I hope someone here wins the birthstone polishes!! Fingers crossed


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## jebest (Sep 14, 2014)

I wonder if the 100+ value is even accurate? Idk, not liking 2 of the 3 so I am sure I will get one I dislike. The one with more polishes are just colors I do not wear.


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## jebest (Sep 15, 2014)

Mine has been stuck at the same location since Thursday, no movement. They keep pushing the shipment date back further and further. So who knows when I will actually get it, if ever. Lol


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## Ashleigh Paige (Sep 15, 2014)

I got my box just now (the 2 lb one) and I'm super disappointed. Just my luck to get the version I know I didn't want.



Spoiler



I got version three with the ink gel eyeliner, makeup brush, mascara, and all that. I gave one of my roommates half the contents of the box (including the one and only polish, muted mustard Alma) because I didn't want to keep them and of the three I did keep, I already owned two of them.


As far as I can tell, no winning the birthstones for me.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I was really hoping for version two. I would I hadn't bought it at all now.

Ah well. It happens and I knew it might when I ordered. At least I have the gorgeous clothes I just got from ModDeals' super big sale to make me happy. &lt;3


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## killalla (Sep 15, 2014)

I placed an order for the Jewel Heist Mystery Box on September 9, and received shipping information the next day -  due to where I live, however, it says my order won't arrive until September 22 (this is usually the case with most things I order - it takes an extra two to three weeks.)  However, today I received another shipment confirmation, and I can't find any information on my account about the shipment contents.  I'm pretty sure that I haven't ordered anything else from Julep, but has anyone seen information on whether there were packing errors with some of the boxes, and items are shipping separately?  (I know this happened with my August Maven order.)  Many thanks for any information.  I hope they haven't charged me twice by mistake...


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## zadidoll (Sep 15, 2014)

killalla said:


> I placed an order for the Jewel Heist Mystery Box on September 9, and received shipping information the next day -  due to where I live, however, it says my order won't arrive until September 22 (this is usually the case with most things I order - it takes an extra two to three weeks.)  However, today I received another shipment confirmation, and I can't find any information on my account about the shipment contents.  I'm pretty sure that I haven't ordered anything else from Julep, but has anyone seen information on whether there were packing errors with some of the boxes, and items are shipping separately?  (I know this happened with my August Maven order.)  Many thanks for any information.  I hope they haven't charged me twice by mistake...


I think you won one of the birthstone collections. They did post this in the original email they sent out:



> Offer expires on 9/14/2014 at 11:59pm PT, or while supplies last. Purchase of multiple Jewel Heist Mystery Boxes may result in polish or product overlap. Offer may not be combined with any other promotional offer or discount (e.g. Maven 20% discount). No exchanges or returns are possible on Mystery Box, individual items, or add-ons. Estimated full retail value is at least $100.00 for all Jewel Heist Mystery boxes. Taxes vary by location.
> The 51 prize winners will be randomly selected from Mystery Box orders placed 9/8/2014 through 9/14/2014. *Prizes may ship separately from Mystery Box order.* Winners will be notified via email from the address in the account.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 15, 2014)

killalla said:


> I placed an order for the Jewel Heist Mystery Box on September 9, and received shipping information the next day - due to where I live, however, it says my order won't arrive until September 22 (this is usually the case with most things I order - it takes an extra two to three weeks.) However, today I received another shipment confirmation, and I can't find any information on my account about the shipment contents. I'm pretty sure that I haven't ordered anything else from Julep, but has anyone seen information on whether there were packing errors with some of the boxes, and items are shipping separately? (I know this happened with my August Maven order.) Many thanks for any information. I hope they haven't charged me twice by mistake...


Is it shipping priority mail?? (Your tracking will start with 9405 as opposed to 9400). If so then you definitely won!!


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## killalla (Sep 15, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Is it shipping priority mail?? (Your tracking will start with 9405 as opposed to 9400). If so then you definitely won!!


Actually, neither have that code, both tracking numbers start with 9361.  One is SM Parcels Ground (due to arrive 9/22) and the other is SM Parcel Plus Ground (due to arrive 9/27).  Not sure if that makes a difference. It would be great if I won one of the collections!  (If it turns out I am a lucky winner, I'll let folks know and post a photo if I can.)


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## Lolo22 (Sep 15, 2014)

killalla said:


> Actually, neither have that code, both tracking numbers start with 9361. One is SM Parcels Ground (due to arrive 9/22) and the other is SM Parcel Plus Ground (due to arrive 9/27). Not sure if that makes a difference. It would be great if I won one of the collections! (If it turns out I am a lucky winner, I'll let folks know and post a photo if I can.)


Never heard of that one, but the fact that it's a special shipper makes me think you won. Fingers crossed for you!!


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## jebest (Sep 16, 2014)

Sounds like someone may have won, yay!!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Mine has been sitting at same location since Thursday morning, tried to call and I can't get through. Tried to email and of course said they would respond in 4 business days. So, oh well I guess, hoping I can just get my money back, instead of trying to fight getting the box.


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## zadidoll (Sep 16, 2014)

Both my orders are also 9361 and were shipped from the Seattle area.


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## With2Ls (Sep 16, 2014)

Julep just posted on Facebook that winners will receive an email before their prize ships. They didn't mention if they had chosen the winners already or not.


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## PrettyAndWitty (Sep 16, 2014)

I don't think I'll buy another mystery box again. I bought the mystery box with the code and bought the three mystery add-ons. Here's my loot:



Spoiler



Eye primer

Lippie

Two hair ties

Eye Shadow brush

Two of the exact same neutral eye shadow pallet

Flower seeds &gt;:|

7 polishes

I paid just under $45 total


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## sparklesgirlxox (Sep 16, 2014)

PrettyAndWitty said:


> I don't think I'll buy another mystery box again. I bought the mystery box with the code and bought the three mystery add-ons. Here's my loot:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


  You did well I got the  one with the alma polish and the face mask..  never buying a mystery box again I never like them


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## PrettyAndWitty (Sep 16, 2014)

The polishes are from the add-ons. The actual mystery box only had one polish in it. I'm going to email them about the eye shadow pallets. :/ I'm not too happy about receiving duplicate products in the same box.


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## zadidoll (Sep 17, 2014)

What rotten luck I have. Both my boxes came and both contain the EXACT same items.


Peony lip gloss $5.99 - http://www.julep.com/julep-lip-vernis-peony.html 
Overnight repair for hands $19.99 - http://www.julep.com/night-night-overnight-repair-for-hands.html

Nadia $4.99 - http://www.julep.com/nadia.html

Padma $11.20 - http://www.julep.com/padma.html

Francis $11.20 - http://www.julep.com/francis.html

Faye $11.20 - http://www.julep.com/faye.html


Total box retail: $ 64.57


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## Lolo22 (Sep 17, 2014)

@@killalla Does it say what your box weights are when you click through the tracking?  Still haven't seen any spoilers for a winner, so can't wait to hear if you're our gal! 

@@zadidoll pretty sure that's the box I'm getting too  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I was really hoping for the box with the mask noir but doesn't seem likely with my box weight.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 17, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> What rotten luck I have. Both my boxes came and both contain the EXACT same items.
> 
> 
> Peony lip gloss $5.99 - http://www.julep.com/julep-lip-vernis-peony.html
> ...


didnt they state $100 value?


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## zadidoll (Sep 17, 2014)

Yes and "technically" it is over $100 at $122 IF you go by the full retail price however 1/2 of the items have been on sale for a while now so to me it's a bit of a bait and switch.


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## killalla (Sep 17, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> @@killalla Does it say what your box weights are when you click through the tracking?  Still haven't seen any spoilers for a winner, so can't wait to hear if you're our gal!
> 
> @@zadidoll pretty sure that's the box I'm getting too  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I was really hoping for the box with the mask noir but doesn't seem likely with my box weight.


For the first box, send September 10, due to arrive September 22-26, the weight is 0.7659 lbs.  For the second box, sent September 15, due to arrive September 27-October 2, the weight is 3.2209 lbs.  I haven't received any notification indicating that I'm a winner, but equally, I've checked, and there's nothing that I've ordered recently other than the Jewel Heist box.  I suppose I could contact customer support?


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## Shauna999 (Sep 17, 2014)

killalla said:


> For the first box, send September 10, due to arrive September 22-26, the weight is 0.7659 lbs. For the second box, sent September 15, due to arrive September 27-October 2, the weight is 3.2209 lbs. I haven't received any notification indicating that I'm a winner, but equally, I've checked, and there's nothing that I've ordered recently other than the Jewel Heist box. I suppose I could contact customer support?


Yay!!! That's so exciting for you!! So happy a MUT Sista is a winner!!


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## Lolo22 (Sep 17, 2014)

killalla said:


> For the first box, send September 10, due to arrive September 22-26, the weight is 0.7659 lbs.  For the second box, sent September 15, due to arrive September 27-October 2, the weight is 3.2209 lbs.  I haven't received any notification indicating that I'm a winner, but equally, I've checked, and there's nothing that I've ordered recently other than the Jewel Heist box.  I suppose I could contact customer support?


OMG you _have_ to be a winner!  None of the box weights spoiled so far are that heavy.  Get those nails ready for sparkle party!!!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## zadidoll (Sep 17, 2014)

killalla said:


> For the first box, send September 10, due to arrive September 22-26, the weight is 0.7659 lbs.  For the second box, sent September 15, due to arrive September 27-October 2, the weight is 3.2209 lbs.  I haven't received any notification indicating that I'm a winner, but equally, I've checked, and there's nothing that I've ordered recently other than the Jewel Heist box.  I suppose I could contact customer support?


Congrats! Seems like you're one of the 50 winners.


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## zadidoll (Sep 17, 2014)

BTW - the more I think about my boxes the more pissed off I am. Why? Because one of the items - specifically the lip gloss - was originally released in July 2012! It's a TWO YEAR OLD LIP GLOSS! The packaging is the original lip gloss packaging and not the newer ones from late 2013 which means these were made at least a year ago if not from the original run! GROSS!

Second the remaining two items that have been on clearance, aka "sale" have been on sale since at least July or August 2013. Yes, I did look up the pages on Wayback Machine to confirm these have been on clearance for a very long time. Essentially, Julep used the Jewel Heist Mystery box coupled with the giveaway to get rid of old clearance stuff have has not moved.


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## Shauna999 (Sep 17, 2014)

I got the same box Zadi &amp; I too am disappointed  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## zadidoll (Sep 17, 2014)

I've complained to them via email and on their Facebook page as well as in a blog post on my site. Frankly, had they included a newer lip gloss that would be fine however what they sent was one from OVER two years ago! Yuk and gross! I'm happy I paid only $9.99 per box rather than $24.99 otherwise I'd have been on the phone super upset.


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## Bloodflowergrl (Sep 17, 2014)

This is a new low for Julep mystery boxes I think. I received box 2 with the eyeshadow and 1 polish as anticipated (given my 0.66 weight box).

I sent an email expressing my unhappiness and false advertising of the mystery box containing "polishes." I told them they should have called it a beauty box with A surprise polish. Anyway, I was surprised to get a response the next day indicating they were sorry and sending me a new box. Which is box 1..as zadidoll and others have received.

Looking back I think the CS might not have understood my email, and thought I was complaining the box only had 1 polish period. Hmmm..

Anyway, very excited for the winner here!!! I hope Julep doesn't come up with anything ever again that could tempt me into another crap box. Ugh. I just couldn't resist the chance of winning a glitter birthstone bonanza. It is my weakness.


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## DragonChick (Sep 17, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> I've complained to them via email and on their Facebook page as well as in a blog post on my site. Frankly, had they included a newer lip gloss that would be fine however what they sent was one from OVER two years ago! Yuk and gross! I'm happy I paid only $9.99 per box rather than $24.99 otherwise I'd have been on the phone super upset.


And considering if you google "shelf life of Julep Lip Gloss" their own blog entry from this year regarding shelf life of cosmetics is a search result which lists lip gloss as 1-2 years shelf life.


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## zadidoll (Sep 18, 2014)

Gross! @@DragonChick you're right. Here's their blog article about it. Which means not only did they dump customers with a two year old lip gloss but also an expired two year old lip gloss!

http://www.julep.com/blog/how-to-clean-out-your-beauty-supplies/


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## DragonChick (Sep 18, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> Gross! @@DragonChick you're right. Here's their blog article about it. Which means not only did they dump customers with a two year old lip gloss but also an expired two year old lip gloss!
> 
> http://www.julep.com/blog/how-to-clean-out-your-beauty-supplies/


Thanks for posting the link, I completely spaced on it last night.

I sent them an email about the expired lip gloss and referenced their blog link. We'll see what kind of response I get back, if I get a response back.


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## sylarana (Sep 18, 2014)

That only refers to the time after you open the product .. so once you use the gloss, it's good for 1-2 years. I wouldn't be worried about them being old ... it's just disappointing to receive a product that is only included cause they want to get rid of it. But, to me that's what the julep mystery boxes are about .. sadly.


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## zadidoll (Sep 18, 2014)

Unfortunately the two glosses appear to have a loose seal. This is why my original one exploded because the seal was faulty.


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 18, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> Essentially, Julep used the Jewel Heist Mystery box coupled with the giveaway to get rid of old clearance stuff have has not moved.


I haven't been with Julep long.  I bought my first mystery box last month (Golden Ticket) and I suspected what you said above even then.  Your pictures only confirm that!  My box arrives today and I guess I have some yellow and green and brown polishes to look forward to, based on the shipping weight.  I have learned my lesson and will not order another one of these.

On the bright side, at least my MeowBox is also coming today so I can watch my cats going crazy upon exposure to catnip toys, which always cheers me up.


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## jebest (Sep 18, 2014)

I got the same box with the yellow, green, brown, and such. Not happy, I won't wear any of those colors. Oh well.


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 18, 2014)

OK, I do like Padma.  But I'm pretty meh about the other colors.  At least they're not exact duplicates of anything I already have.  My gloss was fine (and closed tightly) but I can't get excited about pink lip gloss when I have like two dozen of them already.  Will use the overnight hand repair stuff in a few months because my hands do get really bad in the winter.  I guess I got my $15 worth but there's nothing really exciting about it.  I might as well have bought $15 worth of lottery tickets with the same money.

But, today was a pretty good haul for me overall.  MeowBox was great.  Got my first Level Naturals "The Good Box" and I like it (and just the soap sitting in my living room is making the whole room smell really nice).  And some "try for $2" samples from Abe's Market arrived.  So 4 packages in one day!


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## zadidoll (Sep 18, 2014)

Here is the reply from "Shawn Brady". (really?!)
 
 



> Thank you for reaching out to us. We're sorry to hear you're dissatisfied with our most recent Mystery Box. These are a mystery so there is no guarantee as to what will be included in your package. The Jewel Heist theme of this Mystery Box was in reference to the contest all Mystery Box purchasers were entered in with their purchase. We apologize that you did not receive the products you were anticipating. We love hearing feedback from our Mavens in order to make future promotions better. We will pass this information along to the proper departments.
> 
> The value of the Mystery Boxes is based on the retail value of the products before any discounts. This is just as we would say for Maven Boxes that they include $40+ worth of products. The Julep Lip Vernis – Peony was first introduced in 2012 but has been manufactured again since the original introduction of this product. None of the products sent out are expired.
> 
> ...


My reply:



> [SIZE=11pt]What Julep sent out was a TWO YEAR OLD LIP GLOSS. The Peony lip gloss is from the 2012 American Beauty box. I have this gloss already ready. It has been on sale since July 2013 for $5.99 which indicates to me that Julep decided to throw into this mystery box expired lip glosses. Yes, EXPIRED. The Julep’s OWN BLOG states that lip glosses have a shelf life of TWO YEARS. It’s September 2014 which means these glosses are at least 26 months old and possibly far much older depending on when it was made.[/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=11pt]It is NOT acceptable for EXPIRED product to be sent. Guarantee or not, disclaimer or not, Julep sent out EXPIRED lip gloss![/SIZE]
> 
> ...


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## zadidoll (Sep 18, 2014)

BTW - someone informed me that these glosses SHOULD have a lot # on the tube. Mine did not, as far as I can tell, maybe I'm just being dumb and not seeing it. If anyone received Peony will you check to see if yours has a lot # on the tube, please?


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## acostakk (Sep 18, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> BTW - someone informed me that these glosses SHOULD have a lot # on the tube. Mine did not, as far as I can tell, maybe I'm just being dumb and not seeing it. If anyone received Peony will you check to see if yours has a lot # on the tube, please?


There is a number on the back of mine, 42389


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## acostakk (Sep 18, 2014)

I have zero interest in a pink lipgloss and intended to give it to my five year old or a niece to play with. But if it's expired......


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## zadidoll (Sep 19, 2014)

acostakk said:


> There is a number on the back of mine, 42389


Mine do not contain a number.


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 19, 2014)

If the lip glosses are, indeed, really old, maybe the number rubbed off?  I've seen that with other products I've kept too long in the past.  Like the ink they use to print the lot number isn't as long-lasting as the ink they use to print the logo, size, etc.  (Will try to remember to check mine when I get home.)


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## kittiecat (Sep 19, 2014)

While I agree getting lip gloss they sold two years ago sucks, expiration of make up starts from the moment it is opened.


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## zadidoll (Sep 19, 2014)

kittiecat said:


> While I agree getting lip gloss they sold two years ago sucks, expiration of make up starts from the moment it is opened.


Not entirely true. Would you eat something canned five years ago? It's sealed but it's probably past the stage of tasting good.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 19, 2014)

Why couldn't they have just made this the mystery box?? They have stock to make better boxes, they just don't.





Same value, better stuff.


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## SneakyBurrito (Sep 19, 2014)

My lip gloss does have a lot number on it (same one as posted in a photo earlier in the thread).

Also, turns out I already had Faye so I guess I have two of them now...


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## JC327 (Sep 20, 2014)

Received my mystery box yesterday   I got the version with the mask noir, mascara, brush, ink gel eye liner and Alma. So disapointed at the lack of polishes. It had been over a year since I got a mystery box and this box makes me not want to get any more. I am glad  I didnt pay full price.


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## JC327 (Sep 20, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Why couldn't they have just made this the mystery box?? They have stock to make better boxes, they just don't.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would have been so happy if we would have gotten that instead of what was sent out.


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## zadidoll (Sep 20, 2014)

acostakk said:


> There is a number on the back of mine, 42389
> 
> 
> 
> image.jpg



Ok, just confirmed the gloss was made prior to July 2012.

From Spilled Polish's July 12, 2012 blog post.






Now let's flip her image so it's a reverse to see the #s correctly.






Her gloss from July 2012 post contain the numbers 42389.

So what can we conclude from this? That the Peony glosses in the September 2014 Jewel Heist are from the original July June 2012 gloss stockpile. (CORRECTION: The glosses were originally sent out JUNE 2012 not JULY 2012.)

So today was ask Jane day on Facebook and I did eventually post about the gloss being at least 26 27 months old. Jane replied that I need to contact her via the press email address. I plan on doing this since I would like to get some straight answers. I've been a member of Julep almost from the time they originally launched - I joined October/November 2011, Julep's site launched in 2010 and they opened their first parlors in 2007. Had the CS person NOT been so dismissive I probably would have let the issue go but the gloss part bugged me along with his answers which caused me to look into the matter more and which led me to conclude that the glosses in the Jewel Heist boxes are indeed from mid-2012 and most likely made in early-2012. Anyhow, I need to get my ducks in a row before I send that email to her.


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## DragonChick (Sep 22, 2014)

Posting the reply I recieved which is inconsistent with the response Zadi posted in the news article thread

"We apologize about the delay in getting back to you; our Product Specialist was out of the office. We reached out to her and she informed us that the product has a shelf life of 3-5 years depending upon storage conditions as long as it stays sealed. It has a shelf life of 1-2 years once it is opened depending upon storage conditions.

Please let us know if you have any further concerns!

Your Julep Beauty Advisor "


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## zadidoll (Sep 22, 2014)

It's also BS. While many bloggers, including myself, have stated that cosmetics do have a certain shelf life after opening the same is true for products that have not been opened as the chemicals in the products do break down over time. Would you drink milk that expired 6 months ago despite the fact the milk was still sealed and never open? Of course not because the milk had spoiled. It's the same with cosmetics.

Here's Shawn's reply to my email to him:



> [SIZE=10.5pt]We do sincerely apologize for any frustration you can experienced with the products you received in the Jewel Heist Mystery Box. We have reached out to your Product Development team to provide further information regarding the Peony Lip Gloss you received. This product has been in production since 2012 and has been produced additionally since then. We're sorry if it is not evident from the product received if yours is has been produced since. We did confirm with our Product Development team that "the customer should dispose of the lip gloss 24 months after the product has been opened (exposed to air)." We're sorry if the previously quoted shelf life caused any confusion. The life of this product is referenced from the time of opening. [/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=10.5pt]As stated previously, the value of the Mystery Boxes is based on the retail value of the products before any discounts. We're sorry that it was not clear that this could include full price or discounted items from our website. [/SIZE]
> 
> ...


The more I re-read it the more I find his tone (despite the fact there really is no tone to the email) to be a bit condescending. My reply to him before I re-read it several times.



> [SIZE=11pt]Hi Shawn,[/SIZE]
> 
> [SIZE=11pt]I’ve contacted Jane per her request and have yet to hear from her however I’m going to decline at this time on the offer for gloss replacements for two reasons. 1) I hate being made as if I’m a liar or out to get free product. What I expected, as many others did, were products that fit the “Jewel Heist” theme. I don’t recall exactly when I made a mystery box purchase however I do recall purchasing  a St. Patty’s Day mystery boxes and the products did fit the them. 2) I’m not the only one affected by the Peony gloss and as such I should not be the only person to be offered a replacement gloss. [/SIZE]
> 
> ...


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## secrethoarder (Sep 23, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> It's also BS. While many bloggers, including myself, have stated that cosmetics do have a certain shelf life after opening the same is true for products that have not been opened as the chemicals in the products do break down over time. Would you drink milk that expired 6 months ago despite the fact the milk was still sealed and never open? Of course not because the milk had spoiled. It's the same with cosmetics.
> 
> Here's Shawn's reply to my email to him:
> 
> The more I re-read it the more I find his tone (despite the fact there really is no tone to the email) to be a bit condescending. My reply to him before I re-read it several times.


Kudos for the eloquent email! I really hope Julep will do the right thing and offer replacement glosses to every Peony recipient


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

Due to the issue with their customer service for those attempting to quit coupled with the Jewel Heist Mystery Box bait and switch I've removed almost all (but one) blog posts from my personal blog. I cannot speak on behalf of the owner for MakeupTalk on their stance in the matter however I can speak for myself when it comes to my own blog. My own opinion is that Julep has some work to recover their reputation in my eyes due to the two big glaring issues going on with their company. I cannot in good conscience continue to promote Julep on my own blog - despite the fact it was the primary source of my affiliate money - due to the F BBB rating along with what I think was a bait and switch tactic with the Jewel Heist Mystery Boxes.


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## deactivateduser232015 (Sep 23, 2014)

This is a comment I saw on one of the news articles Zadi linked to:

I worked at Julep in corporate and they absolutely knew about this. Every week the customer service team reported the most common complaints, not to mention the number of incoming, resolved and unresolved issues. Julep knowingly made it hard for users to quit their subscription - users could only get out of the subscription if they called during the hours CS was open (work days 9-5 and a couple hours on Saturday) and answered a bunch of questions about why they didn't want their service. Think Comcast. People could get their problem taken care of a lot more easily if they posted on Facebook because then in became a PR issue. These customer service inquiries aren't a result of the new product or surge in growth, they have been happening for years because the business model was created to make it too easy to get in and too hard to get out. 

That's not surprising, but I am surprised someone (even an ex-employee) from the company spoke up. 

I'm shocked to think Jane "didn't know" about it. Julep isn't that big, and if it were true, it would be irresponsible. Since it's a lie, what can you say -- marketers. 

I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

Kyuu said:


> I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......


Yes.


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## kawaiimeows (Sep 23, 2014)

I've been casually following the Jewel Heist issues and I'm sadly not surprised. I was *almost* hooked on the mystery boxes, but after my third I realized what a rip off they were, and the way they over value the items.


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## DragonChick (Sep 23, 2014)

Kyuu said:


> I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......


I've never had bad customer service on the rare occasion that I needed to contact Starbucks' CS.


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## deactivateduser232015 (Sep 23, 2014)

kawaiimeows said:


> I've been casually following the Jewel Heist issues and I'm sadly not surprised. I was *almost* hooked on the mystery boxes, but after my third I realized what a rip off they were, and the way they over value the items.


It seems like so much a "value" when they advertise it, but then you don't get anything you want and realize you might as well have paid $20 for ~3 items you wanted rather than $25 for like 6 items you don't. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

And the kicker of it is that during the Bondi fiasco it also came out who Julep's manufacturer happens to be so it's not like Julep's polishes are unique to Julep. What Julep has going for them is the subscription service with the "limited edition" colors which puts people into a frenzy to get. Top that off with their now defunct referral system of being able to score boxes for free plus the skip feature and the $19.99 price... Well that made Julep what it was. They raised prices, got rid of the skip for new customers and got rid of the free boxes via the referral system (you now are given a $15 credit which can't be stacked). All of that plus the bad customer service, the bait and switch tactics will hurt Julep in the long run.

I can't help but wonder how much of laugh Richard might be having over the current Julep issues.


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## kawaiimeows (Sep 23, 2014)

Kyuu said:


> It seems like so much a "value" when they advertise it, but then you don't get anything you want and realize you might as well have paid $20 for ~3 items you wanted rather than $25 for like 6 items you don't. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Surprises were fun when I first started getting back into makeup 4 years ago. But I have such a developed collection and limited budget now that I'd rather go to ulta and spend $20 on a few things that I know I *want* to try rather than $20 on a total crapshoot. But it works for some people, and that's cool.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 23, 2014)

these mystery boxes really get me upset. I was stupid enough to think it wouldn't just be the crap they are trying to rid (and all the makeup! it's a nail company originally). now i have more crap. and got suckered before.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 23, 2014)

and I've done spring, jewelry heist, some other promotion.  each time got the same awful orange - never tied to the themes.  i should know by now.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 23, 2014)

I get that we may/will get older polish colors that are in savvy deals, but it's not hard for them to keep a theme with it (jewel tones, sparkles).  They have plenty of sale colors that would've fit nicely and overall I think the beauty products were pretty good.  BUT, 2 year old lip glosses and mascara is nasty.  I don't care if it's "safe" to use, the ingredients don't work the same way anymore.  Expiration dates usually have little to do with safety, and more so with effectiveness.


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## kawaiimeows (Sep 23, 2014)

And to me, decreased effectiveness makes them worth even less, which really doesn't justify the products counting as their original non-sale price.

If I wanted old makeup at a discount i would just go to allwholesalecosmetics.


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

For those that DID purchase the Jewel Heist would you consider reporting it to the WA BBB for false advertisement? I know I did because I truly felt that I was mislead by the ad campaign showing all the pretty jewel tone/birth stone polishes and thought the Jewel Heist box would contain products fitting the theme. I also complained about the fact I was sent a gloss made prior to June 2012 and almost everything can be found on their "sale" page so the current retail value is not in align to the "over $100 retail value"!

I have YET to hear back from Jane which is starting to irritate me since she told me to email her and I did but feel I'm getting the brush off and her post was merely to pacify me on Facebook. Problem is I get more irritate if not replied to within 24 hours and it's been more than 72 hours since I originally sent the email.


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## AshleyBeauty13 (Sep 23, 2014)

Basically, this is why I refuse to be conned into these mystery boxes.  I see old, ugly polishes in ALL of the reviews for just about all of them.  No thanks.


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## deactivateduser232015 (Sep 23, 2014)

AshleyBeauty13 said:


> Basically, this is why I refuse to be conned into these mystery boxes.  I see old, ugly polishes in ALL of the reviews for just about all of them.  No thanks.


The sad thing is, they used to be pretty good. Not amazing, necessarily, but a lot better than this one.

Julep really  has gone downhill since i joined. I think it was like January of this year they got a whole round of venture capital funding ($7M I believe) and they removed a lot of the perks mavens who've been around liked. Even small things like getting a good bonus for taking the box. It seems now that Julep is just about the bottom line to these investors :/ But it is Jane's name and reputation on the line. Does she think she's reached a critical mass? sigh.


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

@ is right. The mystery boxes, when first launched, were amazing and contained unique polishes not released during the monthly boxes then somewhere along the line the mystery boxes became a dumping ground for Julep to sell their "sale" products. Newer subscribers wouldn't realize that the items in the mystery boxes are OLD products but older subscribers would.


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## sparkles595959 (Sep 23, 2014)

hello, I always keep up on these threads but never usually comment, but thought I would throw one in today.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I also got the jewel heist box and contacted them, bc the gel eyeliner I got was dried up. I also expressed my concern w/ nothing being "jewel" themed. They offered me a polish of my choice since the gel eyeliner is out of stock. Then today I was looking at the mascara (thinking about giving it to my mom since I like black), and on the box and tube it also says manufactured 2012.When looking up expiration dates for mascara almost everything I read says 1 year for unopened. Its so gross that they are giving out expired beauty products in boxes. I understand about mystery boxes being a mystery, but they should at least include products that aren't expired.


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

Please take pictures and send it to them. You could also file a report with the BBB and the WA ATG since this is ridiculous that Julep is sending out old and expired product.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 23, 2014)

I'm not even bothering.  I bought 3 mystery boxes before (around $50 total) and fought with them for months. They gave me enough points for 1 polish.  All the mystery boxes were against the theme.  It actually caused me to quit.  Oddly, ironically enough, the jewel heist pulled me back in.  I actually thought we would get at least a birthstone in the mix.  Stupid me.  Fool me once,.... I have no excuse.


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

See and that's how companies win by people NOT complaining.


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## boxesandboxes (Sep 23, 2014)

I am telling you - I went round and round and round on it the last time. They gave some people $15 credit (for $15 mystery box) and all 3 of mine were not on topic.  They just ignored every email.  And finally said that they offered me the points for 1 polish. I gave up and quit. can't believe this stupid jewel heist got me back.  And I got makeup.  And some horrible orange polish I got in 2 of the last 3 boxes.  At least it's near halloween time this time around.


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## flynt (Sep 23, 2014)

Now this thread has me paranoid on expiration dates of unopened cosmetics.  My unopened mascara stash is pretty sizable and I regularly use mascara that's over a year old unopened (after I open them I toss them after three months).  Now I've been googling unopened mascara shelf life but the answers range from 1-5 years with most saying 2-3 years.  That's not even getting into my unopened lip products (def have some from 2012). :/  The lack of clear guidelines is kinda frustrating.


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## zadidoll (Sep 23, 2014)

flynt said:


> Now this thread has me paranoid on expiration dates of unopened cosmetics.  My unopened mascara stash is pretty sizable and I regularly use mascara that's over a year old unopened (after I open them I toss them after three months).  Now I've been googling unopened mascara shelf life but the answers range from 1-5 years with most saying 2-3 years.  That's not even getting into my unopened lip products (def have some from 2012). :/  The lack of clear guidelines is kinda frustrating.


I absolutely agree. I'm also confused by it because we'll all taught that the guidelines are for opened product and unopened product lasts longer HOWEVER the more I researched the more I found that there is no science behind the guidelines as the guidelines were either from manufacturers OR from magazines who came up with it. I can't find ANY studies what so ever that proves or disproves that the guidelines we all know are accurate. I guess this is also why manufacturers and sellers state if it looks or smells funky to toss it.


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## tulosai (Sep 24, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> . I guess this is also why manufacturers and sellers state if it looks or smells funky to toss it.


This is pretty much my guiding principle period.  The minute something starts to look or smell off, it's out of my life. Other than that, the only thing I keep a VERY close tab on is open mascaras (which go after 4 months no matter what and which I almost always toss after 2-3 months). I also pay more attention to anything liquidy that has been open for more than 1 year or that I know has been sitting for more than 18 months even unopened, but I have no hard and fast rules on tossing those... I abide by the look/smell test above all.

Maybe this is a bad strategy, but so far so good.

I DO toss anything at all, no matter what it is or how good it looks/smells, if I'm reasonably certain it's been sitting for more than 3-4 years, whether opened or not.


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

Just got this reply from Julep a short time ago but not one from Jane.



> Hello,
> I am very sorry to hear of the challenges you have had with Julep. This may sound a bit crazy, but your original email on Saturday was not received in our Press inbox. We have multiple people on this list, and none of us received it. I am extremely sorry for the delayed response. It does appear to be the right address, so I will investigate further. I have also passed your message on to Jane.
> Our CS team will happily process your refund request
> Related to your Mystery box, I am sorry that you were disappointed. My team will send you a selection of our favorite things.
> Please let me know if you need anything else.


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## acostakk (Sep 24, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> Just got this reply from Julep a short time ago but not one from Jane.


"My team will send you a selection of our favorite things." I'm sorry, but that just made me snort water out of my nose. Who knows what horrors you'll be sent now since it's THEIR "favorite things." Half a dozen bottles of America the Beautiful?


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## DragonChick (Sep 24, 2014)

acostakk said:


> "My team will send you a selection of our favorite things." I'm sorry, but that just made me snort water out of my nose. Who knows what horrors you'll be sent now since it's THEIR "favorite things." Half a dozen bottles of America the Beautiful?


If I was drinking when I read this, there'd be liquid all over my keyboard. You know the only reason they're sending anything at all is because of the huge stink Zadi made. All I got was the equvalent of a head pat. *chortles*


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> If I was drinking when I read this, there'd be liquid all over my keyboard. You know the only reason they're sending anything at all is because of the huge stink Zadi made. All I got was the equvalent of a head pat. *chortles*


Pretty much how I feel. What I said on my FB wall, "Yup, nothing I sent was addressed. While a box of items is nice the fact is 1) I'm not the only one affected by the Jewel Heist box and 2) Will everyone who bought a Jewel Heist box and received either the lip gloss OR the mascara (which apparently expired a year ago) get something? What about everyone else?"


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## disconik (Sep 24, 2014)

Thank god I'm not the only one that ended up with a crap mystery box!

Mine had the Luxe Repair Skin Serum, Blank Canvas Plumping Lip Primer, Zoe (a now sold out 4.99 clearance item that isn't even swatched properly on their page), Fiore (I like this one), Sunny (a dupe for me), Valerie (I like this one) and a neon green hair tie.

I went to use the skin serum this morning and it was RANCID.  Totally foul.  I wrote a big long blog post about why I'm breaking up with Julep and made sure to tag them in it on twitter.  Hopefully word will get around.  The CS rep admitted to me that they use old stock for the MBs and I just find it appalling that they would send out skin and lip care that is totally rancid.  

Zadi, I will absolutely writing the WA BBB.

ETA: The lip primer was also rancid.  The CS rep said they'll be sending me replacement products and I asked if they would be coming from the new stock or the old stock and she assured me it would be from newer stock.  We'll see...


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## DragonChick (Sep 24, 2014)

disconik said:


> Thank god I'm not the only one that ended up with a crap mystery box!
> 
> Mine had the Luxe Repair Skin Serum, Blank Canvas Plumping Lip Primer, Zoe (a now sold out 4.99 clearance item that isn't even swatched properly on their page), Fiore (I like this one), Sunny (a dupe for me), Valerie (I like this one) and a neon green hair tie.
> 
> ...


I haven't touched the skin serum yet from my order, now I'm worried that's expired as well.  I love how the reps are all giving different and inconsistent responses...not.


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

Take pictures of the lot #s on the products. I have the lip primer from when it was first released.... the lot # on it is.... 331.

Ok, I think what we need to do is figure out how many variations of Jewel Heist was sent out, what was in each variation and from there see when the products were first released. If possible include lot #s from the original products and what was sent to compare.

Anyone up for the challenge? I just tossed my boxes out this morning in the recycling bins so I don't have my boxes but if anyone still does see if there some type of variation code on it. Mine had 003 printed at the top right of the label.


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## DragonChick (Sep 24, 2014)

I haven't tossed my box yet - I'll have to remember to look at it when I get home later.


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

I was wrong that the shipping boxes had a clue to the box variant. I was hoping it was but it's not. :|

On the other hand here's one of the box variants with lots #s.



> mascara lot # - 2228
> mask lot # - 13I45
> not sure my polish has a lot #? Alma from Trina Turk '12
> same with the gel liner and brush


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## sparkles595959 (Sep 24, 2014)

my mascara lot is also 2228. I also just received an email back from Alicia. She asked me for a picture of the date on the mascara, so I sent it. On the email I just received she basically said that" the manufacturing date is really a copy-write date for  the packaging text. I def. don't buy it. Do we know if the 2228 lot is the original lot?


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## sparkles595959 (Sep 24, 2014)

just found a blog post online w/lot #2228 from 9/9/12


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## JC327 (Sep 24, 2014)

sparkles595959 said:


> hello, I always keep up on these threads but never usually comment, but thought I would throw one in today.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
> 
> I also got the jewel heist box and contacted them, bc the gel eyeliner I got was dried up. I also expressed my concern w/ nothing being "jewel" themed. They offered me a polish of my choice since the gel eyeliner is out of stock. Then today I was looking at the mascara (thinking about giving it to my mom since I like black), and on the box and tube it also says manufactured 2012.When looking up expiration dates for mascara almost everything I read says 1 year for unopened. Its so gross that they are giving out expired beauty products in boxes. I understand about mystery boxes being a mystery, but they should at least include products that aren't expired.


Sounds like the same box I got I am concerned about the expired mascara and the eyeliner not even being on their page.  Plus the polish I got was Alma and that is like the 3rd time they send me that polish in a mystery box.


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## DragonChick (Sep 24, 2014)

The lot # on my Luxe Repair Skin Serum is 5997500 and the lot# on the skin creme is 6443(?)400 - The 3 (I think) is etched over a mark in the plastic that's distorting it. My Skin Serum smelled faintly rancid, like oil you leave in the pan on the stove overnight.


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

sparkles595959 said:


> just found a blog post online w/lot #2228 from 9/9/12


I actually have a few Julep mascaras from when Julep sent me a box of products a couple of winters ago. Let me dig it out....

On Jet Black which was the American Beauty Volumizing Mascara the # on the bottom is 2224. The Espresso Brown from Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara is 2226. Both are "Made in the USA © 2012."


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## Lolo22 (Sep 24, 2014)

The box for my overnight repair says 6442100. I don't have the lipgloss anymore since I sold it right away. I don't have the box or packing slip from julep anymore either but I got the same version as you Zadi.


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## DragonChick (Sep 24, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> The box for my overnight repair says 6442100. I don't have the lipgloss anymore since I sold it right away. I don't have the box or packing slip from julep anymore either but I got the same version as you Zadi.


That's the lot on the box on mine as well.


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## zadidoll (Sep 24, 2014)

The Overnight Repair For Hands that I received also have the #s 6442100.


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## JC327 (Sep 25, 2014)

sparkles595959 said:


> my mascara lot is also 2228. I also just received an email back from Alicia. She asked me for a picture of the date on the mascara, so I sent it. On the email I just received she basically said that" the manufacturing date is really a copy-write date for  the packaging text. I def. don't buy it. Do we know if the 2228 lot is the original lot?


Same number as my mascara.


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## JC327 (Sep 25, 2014)

I feel like after this I have lost a lot of trust in Julep.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 25, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> That's the lot on the box on mine as well.


Ok, after you said that I had to open the box and check. I was debating swapping it but I wouldn't want to give anyone rancid serum! You're so right, it smells exactly old grease/oil that was left in a pan. So gross!! It's weird too, because there's only a handful of ingredients. One was hibiscus oil (going off memory here) which I would guess has some kind of fragrance to it? I'm not sure what it's supposed to smell like when fresh though. Doesn't seem like any kind of scent that would be in a skincare product. The luxe cream smells nice though. Ugh julep....they're too big now to think this kind of stuff will fly with people.


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## DragonChick (Sep 25, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Ok, after you said that I had to open the box and check. I was debating swapping it but I wouldn't want to give anyone rancid serum! You're so right, it smells exactly old grease/oil that was left in a pan. So gross!! It's weird too, because there's only a handful of ingredients. One was hibiscus oil (going off memory here) which I would guess has some kind of fragrance to it? I'm not sure what it's supposed to smell like when fresh though. Doesn't seem like any kind of scent that would be in a skincare product. The luxe cream smells nice though. Ugh julep....they're too big now to think this kind of stuff will fly with people.


I've been going round and round on the lip gloss issue and added that I just opened my serum last night and it smells rancid. I asked if this was how it was supposed to smell.


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## DragonChick (Sep 25, 2014)

Not bothering to quote myself, but according to the rep I've been talking to, the serum "does not contain any fragrance so the smell that you are noticing is the natural smell of the oils that are part of the ingredients. In case you wanted to know those are sunflower seed oil, coffee bean oil, and rose hip seed oil."

Does anyone know what coffee bean oil smells like?


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## zadidoll (Sep 25, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> Not bothering to quote myself, but according to the rep I've been talking to, the serum "does not contain any fragrance so the smell that you are noticing is the natural smell of the oils that are part of the ingredients. In case you wanted to know those are sunflower seed oil, coffee bean oil, and rose hip seed oil."
> 
> Does anyone know what coffee bean oil smells like?


Like a freshly ground bag of coffee beans.


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## disconik (Sep 25, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> The lot # on my Luxe Repair Skin Serum is 5997500 and the lot# on the skin creme is 6443(?)400 - The 3 (I think) is etched over a mark in the plastic that's distorting it. My Skin Serum smelled faintly rancid, like oil you leave in the pan on the stove overnight.


I have the same lot # on my skin serum. My lip primer has either J31 or 331 on it.


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## disconik (Sep 25, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> Not bothering to quote myself, but according to the rep I've been talking to, the serum "does not contain any fragrance so the smell that you are noticing is the natural smell of the oils that are part of the ingredients. In case you wanted to know those are sunflower seed oil, coffee bean oil, and rose hip seed oil."
> 
> Does anyone know what coffee bean oil smells like?


It's the smell of naturally rotten oil.  That is NOT the way oils are supposed to smell.


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## Gypsy (Sep 25, 2014)

Since it seems like I will have to stop this company unfortunately.   We are on a very tight budget.  My skin can be finicky and I dont get a chance to go to a mall anymore.  I hate to purchase full sized items unless I know I can use it and it not go to waist.


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## tulosai (Sep 25, 2014)

Gypsy said:


> Since it seems like I will have to stop this company unfortunately.   We are on a very tight budget.  My skin can be finicky and I dont get a chance to go to a mall anymore.  I hate to purchase full sized items unless I know I can use it and it not go to waist.


Yes, I took a box this month but regret it now.  Before that I don't even remember when I last took one.  I only keep my account because i am grandmothered into skips and $20 boxes. Without that, I'd be a goner and even now I am considering cancelling altogether.  I still hope they might turn things around though.


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## AshleyBeauty13 (Sep 25, 2014)

Kyuu said:


> The sad thing is, they used to be pretty good. Not amazing, necessarily, but a lot better than this one.
> 
> Julep really  has gone downhill since i joined. I think it was like January of this year they got a whole round of venture capital funding ($7M I believe) and they removed a lot of the perks mavens who've been around liked. Even small things like getting a good bonus for taking the box. It seems now that Julep is just about the bottom line to these investors :/ But it is Jane's name and reputation on the line. Does she think she's reached a critical mass? sigh.


Yeah I got the Spring 2013 mystery box and loved it! I was new to Julep and had purchased two Sea Salt mystery boxes after, and when the temptation came for another mystery box, I just kept looking at the reviews and they got worse and worse :/


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## AshleyBeauty13 (Sep 25, 2014)

It's too bad this company seems so slimy now.  I have only taken the January box this year, and then the June box I got for free with my Jules.  That is it.  Money has been very tight, so I have had to skip all these months, even yesterday, my favorite month.  But, nothing I can do.   With the complaints of all of the old products in these mystery boxes, even though I haven't bought a mystery box in over a year, I literally only think I will buy new products from them, like the stuff in the monthly boxes. haha   I am blessed that I am allowed to skip without penalty.


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## TooMuchElectric (Sep 25, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> I've been going round and round on the lip gloss issue and added that I just opened my serum last night and it smells rancid. I asked if this was how it was supposed to smell.


I've gone through two bottles of the serum. When I started using it, it smelled nice. I can't remember what it smelled like, but it was pleasant. Towards the end of the second bottle, it smelled like canola oil. I've learned now that I should only buy oils when I need them, and not a sale earlier. Stockpiling is useless if it's a time-sensitive product like that.


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## Lolo22 (Sep 25, 2014)

Wow and 3 winners posted in the julep swap group and all 3 had broken polishes in their prize!


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## JC327 (Sep 27, 2014)

Lolo22 said:


> Wow and 3 winners posted in the julep swap group and all 3 had broken polishes in their prize!


Oh  I saw that, I hope Julep replaces it for them.


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## JC327 (Sep 27, 2014)

I wrote to Julep last week about the old mascara and my eye liner is dried up.  I still have not heard back from them. I wonder if they are just not responding to emails now or are just getting so many emails theyre behind. I was also looking for the eye liner on their page and it doesnt appear there anymore.


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## itsoliviaaah (Sep 27, 2014)

So nobody on here has won the birthstone collection I assume? :/


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## sparkles595959 (Sep 27, 2014)

JC327 said:


> I wrote to Julep last week about the old mascara and my eye liner is dried up. I still have not heard back from them. I wonder if they are just not responding to emails now or are just getting so many emails theyre behind. I was also looking for the eye liner on their page and it doesnt appear there anymore.


Maybe your email got lost..I would email again. I emailed them around the same time for the same exact things. We have been going back and forth for the last week though bc I didn't notice the mascara date when I noticed the eyeliner. Basically they offered a nail polish for each thing. Plus they are say the mascara is not old. I told her I would like to know when it was manufactured then so I am waiting for that response. I definitely believe its old and now they are trying to cover it up and give other excuses.


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## JC327 (Oct 2, 2014)

sparkles595959 said:


> Maybe your email got lost..I would email again. I emailed them around the same time for the same exact things. We have been going back and forth for the last week though bc I didn't notice the mascara date when I noticed the eyeliner. Basically they offered a nail polish for each thing. Plus they are say the mascara is not old. I told her I would like to know when it was manufactured then so I am waiting for that response. I definitely believe its old and now they are trying to cover it up and give other excuses.


I finally got a response from them offering an add on for free and pretty much saying that I ordered a mystery box so I knew the risks. I am not satisfied with this response since I got the expired mascara and the eye liner is dried. I dont know if anyone else had better luck getting anything else back from them. This experience has left a very sour taste in my mouth about the company and  I dont think I will be recommending them to anyone else in the future.


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## boxesandboxes (Oct 2, 2014)

i kind of don't want to hear about the jewel heist again. i fee like such a fool for falling for it. then i see there are new posts in this thread  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## zadidoll (Oct 2, 2014)

JC327 said:


> I finally got a response from them offering an add on for free and pretty much saying that I ordered a mystery box so I knew the risks. I am not satisfied with this response since I got the expired mascara and the eye liner is dried. I dont know if anyone else had better luck getting anything else back from them. This experience has left a very sour taste in my mouth about the company and  I dont think I will be recommending them to anyone else in the future.


I fought with them on that point because while a mystery box is a risk the risk is not that the products are old, expired, discontinued or unusable. Them sending out those types of products does fall under bait and switch as well as misleading advertising which is against not only Federal laws but Washington State RCWs.


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## sparkles595959 (Oct 2, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> I fought with them on that point because while a mystery box is a risk the risk is not that the products are old, expired, discontinued or unusable. Them sending out those types of products does fall under bait and switch as well as misleading advertising which is against not only Federal laws but Washington State RCWs.


That's what I said as well. Mystery boxes should definitely be usable products and I would like to see Jane/julep employees using those things.


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## DragonChick (Oct 3, 2014)

JC327 said:


> I finally got a response from them offering an add on for free and pretty much saying that I ordered a mystery box so I knew the risks. I am not satisfied with this response since I got the expired mascara and the eye liner is dried. I dont know if anyone else had better luck getting anything else back from them. This experience has left a very sour taste in my mouth about the company and  I dont think I will be recommending them to anyone else in the future.


So they're essentially saying that it's okay to send old, expired goods in mystery boxes. Did they not realise this was going to come back and bite them in the posterior at some point?


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## kawaiimeows (Oct 3, 2014)

So now there's an inherent risk that you might get expired, discontinued, and unusuable products in the mystery boxes? Nice, Julep.  :laughing:


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## normajean2008 (Oct 4, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> @ is right. The mystery boxes, when first launched, were amazing and contained unique polishes not released during the monthly boxes then somewhere along the line the mystery boxes became a dumping ground for Julep to sell their "sale" products. Newer subscribers wouldn't realize that the items in the mystery boxes are OLD products but older subscribers would.


Mystery boxes were a million times better than now, back when they did them only every 3 months or so at a time.  During their first year there wasn't a freaking mystery box EVERY single month, so they were cool and special and meant something.  I don't know why they thought it would be an awesome idea to change it early this year to a monthly mystery box (other than greed).  

My opinion is they suck so much now because of the frequency of them.  They don't have to entice as many people to buy each time, because there are so many. They are just common crap now, vs a timed out/planned/themed special box.  

Fact of the matter is, Jane is lying about not knowing any of this stuff like she claims in the recent article floating around the web.  Blatant lie.  She was participating on Facebook while person after person complained to her.  

Fact of the matter is, they knowingly mislead people into buying this mystery box.  They made sure to word it so people would technically know they wont get a box full of beautiful birthstone colors (unless they were the winner), but they knew they were lying about the value of the items.  They knew people would get pukey old colors that do NOT fit the theme.  As a customer, if a company tells me I'm buying a themed item, I expect to receive that.  It is also bunk that they put things that have been on deep discount for over a year in the box, but claim FULL retail value.  If it has been on official clearance for more than a month, it has no retail value to me as a customer.  It's value is the clearance price.  Items in retail stores that have been on clearance as long as these Julep products have been, get priced out to a dollar and written off after that.  It should be no different with Julep, in my opinion.  

Fact of the matter is, Julep has been using the SAME excuses why things go wrong since they started the sub service.  You can only use those kinds of excuses once, in my opinion.  After that you know what to do and how to go about it, to ensure things don't get to that point over and over.  How many times do they need to claim they're increasing their support team, if they're actually doing it?  Rinse and repeat on all the constant issues.  If they were being honest and respectable in their business practices, they wouldn't even need all that extra support and such.  They never had so many public complaints like today before they got the investment deal at the beginning of the year.  

Fact of the matter is, they sold out and no longer give a crap about their original program, what got them on the map in the first place, and now they clearly don't care much about their customer base.  All they care about is money, greed, and as long as they keep getting "suckers" to sign up (a good deal of them unaware of the hassles and what they're signing up for), they don't really care about all the older members leaving, especially the original mavens with skips etc still.  They are TRYING to push out the old ones, that's why they keep making changes to screw them over one by one.  

Julep doesn't seem to understand what makes people truly stick around as a loyal customer, and they don't understand how to ration out promotions.  Doing too much at once, changing things too fast/too much, running the same promos too often (mystery boxes), and constantly ignoring things until legal options are brought up publicly are going to be a true downfall for them if they don't step it up.  Quantity is more important that quality to them now.  

I think they owe everybody who didn't win a birthstone polish or big winner collection a refund, or at the very least a store credit in the same amount spent.


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## DragonChick (Oct 4, 2014)

They also can't be arsed to say when something's out of stock. My replacement lip pencil was apparently on back order, and neither the website or the CS rep who entered the order bothered to mention this. I only found this out after a week and a half with no shipping email and an almost half hour long phone call. The gal on the phone was helpful, but in general, I don't think their CS is improving.


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## JC327 (Oct 5, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> I fought with them on that point because while a mystery box is a risk the risk is not that the products are old, expired, discontinued or unusable. Them sending out those types of products does fall under bait and switch as well as misleading advertising which is against not only Federal laws but Washington State RCWs.


I wrote  back to them so lets see what happens. I was so upset after that email that I felt I had to cool off before writting to them. I am so upset because I feel 950 jules doesnt makeup for 2 products that I cant use. So many people were misled by this box and I do hope they improve their boxes in the future. I dont see myself purchasing more mystery boxes for a long time.


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## JC327 (Oct 5, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> So they're essentially saying that it's okay to send old, expired goods in mystery boxes. Did they not realise this was going to come back and bite them in the posterior at some point?


Thats what im thinking they probably did not realize the backlash they would be getting. I am more upset that they seem to be sweeping things under the rug and that the mavens that dont have facebook or are not on MuT have no idea they are using expired products.


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## JC327 (Oct 5, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> They also can't be arsed to say when something's out of stock. My replacement lip pencil was apparently on back order, and neither the website or the CS rep who entered the order bothered to mention this. I only found this out after a week and a half with no shipping email and an almost half hour long phone call. The gal on the phone was helpful, but in general, I don't think their CS is improving.


I dont think much of their CS I have been having issues with receiving emails from them for over a year and every time I write they say they will fix it and im still waiting.


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## killalla (Oct 6, 2014)

So, after quite a delay, it looks like I was one of the lucky Jewel Heist Winners - my second package arrived and it was the collection.  I've attached a photo of the box, with the unannounced colors. (Sorry, it's not a great image.) Thanks to everyone who advised me this might be the case -  I never got an e-mail or anything to inform me I was a winner, just the mysterious shipping e-mail.  My main mystery box was the mask noir, mascara, and mustard colored polish.  Like a few other winners (I've heard), the polishes were poorly packed, and one of the bottles was chipped at the corner, but thankfully it was just the glass on the corner of the bottle, and all the polish was intact, so I'm not going to bother complaining, as I think it might be too much hassle to get a replacement.

So, I was lucky and certainly got my money's worth from the mystery box this time, but after hearing about the bad experiences/expired products that others have experienced, I might forego in future.


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## disconik (Oct 9, 2014)

I received my replacement items but it can all be summed up in the email I just sent them:



> I received replacement items for the old, expired, rancid skin serum and lip plumper from my mystery box, but - guess what!  They were the same lot numbers, same rancid smell, and the "new" skin serum I got had the label peeling halfway off it and the bottle was scratched!  Congratulations on horrible customer service, Julep! I was even assured by the CS rep that my items would be pulled from new stock. I
> This business practice is ridiculous.  Julep used to be great with the mystery boxes and now it's the last ditch to make money off something before you toss it.  This is absolutely disgusting.
> 
> Please don't offer to send me more replacement skin care/cosmetic items. And please don't offer to send me nail polish so old that the bottom label and brush aren't even the same brushes and labels you've been using for almost 2 years.
> ...


I'll update you all on any response I receive.  I sent it to the maven email and the press email addresses.


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## zadidoll (Oct 9, 2014)

disconik said:


> I received my replacement items but it can all be summed up in the email I just sent them:
> 
> I'll update you all on any response I receive.  I sent it to the maven email and the press email addresses.


Yuk! Please make sure you follow that up with the WA ATG because I'm trying to force Julep to change it's practices however it takes more than one voice to get things done. The ATG can look to see if the Jewel Heist ad was misleading and force Julep to take corrective action.


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## Lolo22 (Oct 9, 2014)

disconik said:


> I received my replacement items but it can all be summed up in the email I just sent them:
> 
> I'll update you all on any response I receive.  I sent it to the maven email and the press email addresses.


This is exactly why I didn't even bother emailing them about the nasty serum.  Emailing them about simple things like is painful enough, it's just not worth the hassle to try to convince them something is old/stinky.

I really hope they make it right for you!  Honestly I think they should make it right for everyone who received the serum (with a credit or partial refund or something), but I know that will never happen.  

I think it's very telling that their next mystery box is now supposed to be on theme for it's name.  I'm going to be really curious what beauty products they send in it.  And with the release of their new mascara next month, I wonder if they will try to unload all the old ones this month.


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## zadidoll (Oct 9, 2014)

@@Lolo22 but it's important to contact them. Whether or not they do something at least there is a record of a complaint so if the WA ATG or the FTC ever stepped in and investigated they'll be able to see that yes, complaints were made but Julep either did nothing to rectify the situation or attempted to do something. I know complaints seem like, "why bother?" or "I'm not the type of person to complain" but those complaints are critical.


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## tulosai (Oct 9, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> @@Lolo22 but it's important to contact them. Whether or not they do something at least there is a record of a complaint so if the WA ATG or the FTC ever stepped in and investigated they'll be able to see that yes, complaints were made but Julep either did nothing to rectify the situation or attempted to do something. I know complaints seem like, "why bother?" or "I'm not the type of person to complain" but those complaints are critical.


So much this.


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## JC327 (Oct 9, 2014)

killalla said:


> So, after quite a delay, it looks like I was one of the lucky Jewel Heist Winners - my second package arrived and it was the collection.  I've attached a photo of the box, with the unannounced colors. (Sorry, it's not a great image.) Thanks to everyone who advised me this might be the case -  I never got an e-mail or anything to inform me I was a winner, just the mysterious shipping e-mail.  My main mystery box was the mask noir, mascara, and mustard colored polish.  Like a few other winners (I've heard), the polishes were poorly packed, and one of the bottles was chipped at the corner, but thankfully it was just the glass on the corner of the bottle, and all the polish was intact, so I'm not going to bother complaining, as I think it might be too much hassle to get a replacement.
> 
> So, I was lucky and certainly got my money's worth from the mystery box this time, but after hearing about the bad experiences/expired products that others have experienced, I might forego in future.
> 
> ...


Congrats!


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## JC327 (Oct 9, 2014)

I heard back from Julep I was offered to pick a birthstone polish  and a beauty product. Seems like they may be trying to make things right. I just wished they came out publicly and apologized but I doubt that will happen.


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## Lolo22 (Oct 9, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> @@Lolo22 but it's important to contact them. Whether or not they do something at least there is a record of a complaint so if the WA ATG or the FTC ever stepped in and investigated they'll be able to see that yes, complaints were made but Julep either did nothing to rectify the situation or attempted to do something. I know complaints seem like, "why bother?" or "I'm not the type of person to complain" but those complaints are critical.


Ok, I sent an email towards the effort.  I told them I don't want anything (because I really don't) and I just want them to do better.  

They need to pull that serum, it seriously grosses me out every time I think about it and it sounds like it's not just a batch issue, since someone here has purchased several of them.  I also think they need to create their own images to advertise the mystery boxes (which they usually do, and I'm not sure why they didn't this time).  That ad with all the glitter polishes _was_ deceptive no mater how you look at it.

Hopefully I at least get a thoughtful response.


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## overthehill (Oct 11, 2014)

My Maven box had 2 polish extras (since I ordered 3 add-ons) and an extra of 5 mini foil packets of the luxe face serum- which is extremely well reviewed.  It smells a bit off.  I don't know if it's rancid or just odd smelling, and I feel I can't complain as it was an extra...


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## bonita22 (Oct 11, 2014)

I sent Julep an email about the serum and the lipgloss. I told them how disappointed I was in this mystery box and that it's not ok to use mystery boxes as a dumping ground for products that may be old, expired, discontinued or otherwise unusable.

This is the reply I got:



> Thank you for reaching out to us. We sincerely apologize for any frustration this may have caused. It is not our intention to send old and expired products to our customers and we are very sorry that this has happened. We hope to resolve this issue as soon as possible. When you get a chance, please take a look at the Julep website and select any two items that are each under $20 that I can send to you as soon as possible.


While I'm happy with the resolution, I'm still annoyed I was sent old product in the first place. I will definitely think twice before I purchase another mystery box from Julep.


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## Vanessa Connally (Oct 12, 2014)

bonita22 said:


> I sent Julep an email about the serum and the lipgloss. I told them how disappointed I was in this mystery box and that it's not ok to use mystery boxes as a dumping ground for products that may be old, expired, discontinued or otherwise unusable.
> 
> This is the reply I got:
> 
> While I'm happy with the resolution, I'm still annoyed I was sent old product in the first place. I will definitely think twice before I purchase another mystery box from Julep.


That's awesome!  I got Jules, which is fine because now I have enough to get a free box, so overall I am happy.  But, they still say the serum is not expired.  They won't admit it, even though we all know something is wrong with it, the smell is awful!  I trashed it.


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## Lolo22 (Oct 13, 2014)

I received a response today and was offered a lip gloss of my choice (the new ones) and a replacement serum.  They assure me that nothing I received is expired.  I'm not interested in having either so I will pass but at least they know I feel about it.  

They did not address having the birthstone/glitter polishes in the product photo for the mystery box and just said 'it's a mystery, nothing is guaranteed', blah blah blah.


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## disconik (Oct 14, 2014)

Here's the response I received.  I'm happy with this resolution, for the most part.  I just wish it hadn't been an issue to begin with.  I was so stoked to try the serum!



> *Shelly Neighbors* (Julep)
> 
> Oct 10 06:55 AM
> 
> ...


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## zadidoll (Oct 14, 2014)

I'm very pleased that the folks at Julep ARE taking the complaints seriously now HOWEVER this never should have been an issue in the first place had the box been as advertised. The other issue I have, which has yet to be addressed and maybe I do expect more from companies owning up to things, is that they never made a public apology or contacted those who bought a Jewel Heist Mystery Box and instead have waited for people to contact them about it. They should take a page from their own book in regards to the October Ultimate Upgrade delays - contact everyone who purchased a Jewel Heist box, apologize and offer some sort of compensation that is the same. With the delays to the October Ultimate Upgrade boxes, Julep is offering to expedite the boxes AND gave everyone who purchased the UUBs a free UUB for November.


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## sparkles595959 (Oct 14, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> I'm very pleased that the folks at Julep ARE taking the complaints seriously now HOWEVER this never should have been an issue in the first place had the box been as advertised. The other issue I have, which has yet to be addressed and maybe I do expect more from companies owning up to things, is that they never made a public apology or contacted those who bought a Jewel Heist Mystery Box and instead have waited for people to contact them about it. They should take a page from their own book in regards to the October Ultimate Upgrade delays - contact everyone who purchased a Jewel Heist box, apologize and offer some sort of compensation that is the same. With the delays to the October Ultimate Upgrade boxes, Julep is offering to expedite the boxes AND gave everyone who purchased the UUBs a free UUB for November.


That's how I feel as well. The rep that i was emailing w flat out said that it was not old. I then asked about the batch #. She made some excuse. She said she would find out the manufactor date when she could and let me know (since I said I wanted to know after she said it wasn't). Of course still haven't heard back and I doubt I will. I feel like they still don't think anything was wrong w what they did. I feel like they just think everyone is trying to get extra things for free when it's not even about that. It's about them owning up to what they did.


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## DragonChick (Oct 15, 2014)

zadidoll said:


> I'm very pleased that the folks at Julep ARE taking the complaints seriously now HOWEVER this never should have been an issue in the first place had the box been as advertised. The other issue I have, which has yet to be addressed and maybe I do expect more from companies owning up to things, is that they never made a public apology or contacted those who bought a Jewel Heist Mystery Box and instead have waited for people to contact them about it. They should take a page from their own book in regards to the October Ultimate Upgrade delays - contact everyone who purchased a Jewel Heist box, apologize and offer some sort of compensation that is the same. With the delays to the October Ultimate Upgrade boxes, Julep is offering to expedite the boxes AND gave everyone who purchased the UUBs a free UUB for November.


Nope. It depends on the rep. I submitted a second ticket and got stuck with the same incompetent CS rep who keeps insisting that it's me and the product is unscented and not rancid.

ETA: I finally asked to have my ticket escalated to a supervisor as I don't feel that my concerns over expired product are being taken seriously, and that this particular rep is borderline condescending. At this point, I really don't care about compensation for the bad product, but the lack of professional customer service is borderline appalling and that's something that should be addressed.


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## DragonChick (Oct 16, 2014)

Also, is it me or did Julep delete all of their FB posts regarding this mystery box?


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## zadidoll (Oct 16, 2014)

DragonChick said:


> Nope. It depends on the rep. I submitted a second ticket and got stuck with the same incompetent CS rep who keeps insisting that it's me and the product is unscented and not rancid.
> 
> ETA: I finally asked to have my ticket escalated to a supervisor as I don't feel that my concerns over expired product are being taken seriously, and that this particular rep is borderline condescending. At this point, I really don't care about compensation for the bad product, but the lack of professional customer service is borderline appalling and that's something that should be addressed.


Shame them about it on Facebook. Also please don't back down when it comes to filing a BBB complaints as well as a ATG complaint.



DragonChick said:


> Also, is it me or did Julep delete all of their FB posts regarding this mystery box?


I'm still seeing posts in their Mystery Box pics (both Jewel Heist and Trick or Treat) but think you're right - they hide the negative posts. I think the negative posts are hidden not deleted but I haven't gone to really look.


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## JC327 (Oct 22, 2014)

I am glad to see people are getting some sort of compensation for their boxes. I do wish it was all the same because its unfair for some to get less eventhough they paid the same amount for the box. Also at this point I think it is unlikely they will issue an apology, I feel bad for the customers who dont use social media or MuT and are stuck with a bad product and no compensation.


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